Wednesday, February 16, 2011

ASG Brake Report - Tim Mcnamara

Tim Mcnamara will be contributing some depth to the blog with his insight and passion into the NBA.This is his first contribution to IR Sports

As the fans prepare for All-Star festivities and we receive another slate of mediocre dunkers with the usual M.I.A.’s (yes I’m talking to you LeBron), we look back at the first half of the season.We begin in the East. A powerful Celtics squad takes the top of the table, with the Heat, Bulls, and Magic following closely behind. You look at the Celtics and you see experience, but how will those legs hold up come May and June?

Next, you have the “Heatles.” We see glimpses of greatness with the “big three” but they are still only 1-6 against the premier teams in the league. They are followed by the Bulls lead by M.V.P. candidate Derrick Rose, but who will step up with the combined absences of Jokim Noah and Carlos Boozer?

To rap of the top tier of team in the East is the Orlando Magic.

They are desperate to find continuity, and while they did overcome a beat-up Los Angeles team the other night, they had lost to seven winning team prior to that. (let's hit on the fact that the Lakers went on to get blow out in Charlotte the night after)Where do I even begin in the West? The Spurs are the leaders of the pack with an awfully impressive rebuilding job by Popovich. To the surprise of just about every fan, there veterans Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan have lead the Spurs to a league best, 46 wins.

Number two in the west would have to be the Dallas Mavericks. They have the chance to make a play-off push but it may come down to a key trade after suffering injuries to star players such as Caron Butler. Speaking of Butler, the Mavs are interested in a trade with Charlotte for Stephen Jackson. That being said,

when asked Mavs guard Jason Terry said they were feeling confident with their current squad and he didn’t see a need for change. Cuban is a man who wants to win, and he will pull every string to make that happen. Right behind the Mavs are the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, another team that is looking to wheel and deal.

This might be a good time to mention the Melo rumors. No one is certain, but the latest deal had him linked to the Nicks in a multi-player deal, including former All-Star guard Chauncey Billups. The final team on my list of top four for the west is the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a team that is carried by possibly the best duo the league has to offer, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. KD leads the league in 30 point games, and when he hits 30 his team is a solid 18-4. The Thunder will look to make an improvement in the defense and rebounding categories.

All this leads to an exciting second half of the season in the Association.